If you are looking for Matthew 28 Bible study questions, this set is built for a small group, a Sunday class, or a quiet personal study. Each section gives you questions about what the chapter says, what it means, and how to live it, along with notes you can use to guide the conversation. You do not need a separate commentary to lead the session.
Matthew 28 at a Glance
Matthew 28 opens at dawn on the first day of the week, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb. An earthquake and an angel open the way, and the guards fall into fear. The angel tells the women that Jesus has risen and sends them to tell the disciples, and Jesus himself meets them on the road with the same message.
The chapter then shifts to the response of the authorities, who pay the guards to spread a false story, and to the eleven disciples who travel to Galilee and meet Jesus on the mountain. The chapter closes with the risen Lord claiming all authority, sending his followers to make disciples, and promising to be with them always.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the exact words in the text, and keep the pace slow so people notice details they might otherwise skip past.
Matthew 28:5-6
5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
(WEB)
Read this passage early in the session to set the tone of the resurrection announcement. Hearing the angel’s words spoken aloud helps the group feel the shift from the empty tomb to the good news of the risen Lord.
Matthew 28:8
They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.
(WEB)
This single verse captures the mixed emotions of the women and invites reflection. Reading it slowly gives people room to name their own experience of fear and joy in the same moment.
Matthew 28:9-10
9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
(WEB)
Reading this encounter aloud brings the risen Jesus into the room. The reassurance “Don’t be afraid” is best heard in the speaker’s own voice, and it is a good place to pause and ask what that words means to each listener.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
(WEB)
This closing passage contains the authority, the commission, and the promise of presence all in one place. Reading it together anchors the whole session and sends the group into discussion with the chapter’s central claims fresh in their minds.
Matthew 28:17
When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.
(WEB)
Reading this verse aloud acknowledges that doubt existed among the first followers, which helps honest questions feel welcome. It is a good verse to return to when someone in the group admits uncertainty.
Memory Verse for Matthew 28
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
(WEB)
This verse is a steady promise to carry into the week. Memorizing the final words of Jesus in this chapter gives the group a reminder that the mission rests on his ongoing presence, not on their own strength.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you with the same mix of fear and joy that the women carried from the tomb. Thank you that the stone has been rolled away and that Jesus is alive, reigning with all authority in heaven and on earth. Help us to hear your words, “Don’t be afraid,” and to trust them in the places where we feel weak. Give us courage to share what we have seen and heard, to teach others what Jesus commanded, and to rest in the promise that he is with us always. We ask this in his name. Amen.
